I was talking with a young woman who was struggling in her marriage. She had been referred to me by a mutual friend. As she shared the particular struggle, I first asked her what she had done or was doing to resolve the issue. Her response was, “I know what God’s word teaches on this issue, BUT I DECIDED this way—(and she told me what she had done) would be best for me.” Then I asked her, “Is your way working?” and she admitted that it was not; and that her friend had encouraged her to call me for counsel.
Because she had begun the conversation by stating that, “I know what God’s word teaches…” I asked her to tell me what she knew; and she did. God had indeed, revealed His truth to her, but she had chosen to try her way instead—AND IT WASN’T WORKING! Hmmm, I wonder why? I had an easy task of encouraging her to try God’s way, which she agreed to do.
How often we seek independence from God’s way—even when He makes it clear to us what His way is! As I was reading Jonah’s story this week, I thought of how often I follow his ‘wrong way’ instead of the clear instructions of God’s word. Jonah clearly heard what God instructed him to do: ‘Go to Nineveh and warn the people’—‘But Jonah ran away and headed for Tarshish.’ Look at all the trouble he caused for others along the way; and the trouble he brought on himself in those four short chapters!
And yet, look at the evidence in those chapters of how GOD KEPT PURSUING JONAH—and how He gently, but persistently led Jonah back to HIS WAY! In the process, Jonah revealed the truth to the sailors and they turned to his God. God faithfully provided for Jonah’s protection all the while he was ‘running away’; until he was ready to obey God and go to Nineveh with the message.
It encourages me that we can choose to seek independence from God’s way, but He never stops pursuing our hearts
